Trent University & Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board create new Indigenous Studies dual credit program
October 23, 2025
Agreement enables high school students to earn university credit in Indigenous Studies while completing high school diploma
PETERBOROUGH (October 9, 2025) – High school students in the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board (HPEDSB) can now earn a credit in Indigenous Studies from Trent University while completing their Ontario Secondary School Diploma thanks to a new dual credit program.
“For decades, Trent has been creating curriculum and opportunities to engage students at all levels in Indigenous education. It has been wonderful to partner with the innovative team at Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board to create this unique pathway for students,” said Marilyn Burns, vice president of Communications & Enrolment at Trent University. “As HPEDSB students gain exposure to Indigenous scholarship and ways of knowing, they are also gaining real university academic experience and getting a head start on their degree.”
Now in place for the 2025/26 academic year, the program gives students in the HPEDSB enrolled in two high school credit courses (Contemporary Indigenous Issues and Perspectives in a Global Context or First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Governance in Canada) the opportunity to earn a 0.5 university course credit in INDG 1001H: The Foundation of Reconciliation at Trent. This means students who are accepted to Trent University in the future will begin their studies with a half-credit already earned for their degree.
The Foundation of Reconciliation half-credit course at Trent also fulfills the University’s Indigenous Course Requirement (ICR), which was implemented in 2018 to ensure all undergraduate students take at least one course focused on Indigenous topics during their degree. More than 20,000 students have completed the ICR since its introduction.
The new dual credit program will be piloted at Eastside Secondary School in Belleville. As part of the program, students will engage in land-based learning activities and events, and receive instruction and teachings led by faculty and staff from Trent’s Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies. Students will deepen their understanding of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives and build real-world skills through university-level study.
“This agreement reflects our shared commitment to advancing Indigenous education and creating meaningful learning opportunities for students that translate into strong community relations,” said Katherine MacIver, director of education at HPEDSB. “This opportunity will no doubt help students strengthen their academic foundation, foster critical thinking, and build confidence for the transition to post-secondary education.”
“This is a perfect opportunity to support students along their learning journey, to build relationships and friendships across our institutions, and to connect students directly with professors, Elders, and knowledge holders,” added Dr. Kevin Fitzmaurice, associate professor in the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies.
About Trent University
One of Canada’s top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that’s personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent’s unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent’s students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent’s Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.
About Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board
Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board (HPEDSB) serves approximately 15,275 students each day at 38 schools (31 elementary, two K-12; four 7-12, one secondary). Supporting student achievement is the goal of approximately 1,720 teaching and support staff who, in addition to the contributions of caring volunteers and community partners, share their passion for teaching and learning. Located on the ancestral lands of the Anishinabek, Haudenosaunee and Wendat peoples, the district covers a geographic area of 7,220 square kilometres bordered by Maynooth to the north, Deseronto to the east, Prince Edward County to the south and Quinte West to the west.
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For more information contact:
Jemma Lywood
Communications & Media Relations Officer
Trent University
(705) 748-1011 x6188
jemmalywood@trentu.ca
Communications & Media Relations Officer
Trent University
(705) 748-1011 x6188
jemmalywood@trentu.ca